1.1.National Policy on Education (NPE) has adopted the concept of national
system of education, implying that up to a certain level all students irrespective of
caste, creed, language or sex have access to education of comparable quality.
The Policy lays special emphasis on removal of disparities and equalizing
educational opportunities by attending to the specific needs of those who have
remained educationally backward so far. Suitable incentives therefore, have to
be provided to educationally backward sections of the society. For more information please visit at http://mhrd.gov.in/qualityeducationinmadarsa

2. The National Policy on Education commits itself to provide all possible
means for the uplift of the educationally backward minorities. The children of the
educationally backward muslim minorities attend Maktabs/Madrassas/Darul-
Ulooms with very little participation in the national mainstream education system.
These institutions provide by and large, religious teaching. In order to provide
them with access to education in modern subjects, the Central Government has
been implementing the Area Intensive and Madrassa Modernisation Scheme.
The scheme as implemented during the X Plan had two components, namely
infrastructure support for educational institutions catering to educationally
backward population and introduction of modern subjects in traditional institutions
of Madrassas.

3. The National Monitoring Committee for Minorities Education (NMCME)
was constituted in 2004 to look into all aspects of education of minorities and
suggest ways and means to improve the conditions for educational
empowerment of minorities and visited several states and interacted with the
leaders of the Muslim minority community, educationists and Madrassa
Managements. An Expert Committee of the NMCME was constituted to give
inputs for revising the programme of modernization of Madrassas and submitted
its report. The Expert Committee has suggested that madrassas be provided a
linkage with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) to provide for
certification of academic levels, linkages with vocational education, improving the
quality of education in modern subjects, introduced teacher training,
enhancement of teacher salaries, strengthening of State Madarssa Boards for
monitoring and raising awareness about education programmes for the Muslim
community.

4. The scheme for providing quality education in madarssas has been recast
after taking into account the inputs of the Expert Committee of NMCME.

BUDGET PROVISIONS :

5. An amount of Rs. 325 crore is proposed for the scheme as per budget
provision made by Planning Commission in the XIth Five Year Plan.

OBJECTIVES

6(i) The objective of the Scheme is to encourage traditional institutions like
Madarasas and Maktabs by giving financial assistance to introduce science,
mathematics, social studies, Hindi and English in their curriculum so that
academic proficiency for classes I-XII is attainable for children studying in these
institutions. However, the process of modernization of traditional Madrassas and
Maktabs will be voluntary.

(ii) The scheme will provide opportunities to students of these institutions to
acquire education comparable to the National Education System especially for
secondary and senior secondary levels. This will enable children studying in
these institutions to progress to higher levels of learning and also open up better
job opportunities for them. Maktaba/Madrassas/Dar-ul-Ulooms can opt to
become accredited study centres with the National Institutions of Open Schooling
(NIOS) for primary and middle levels of education or/and for secondary and
senior secondary levels as well. Assistance would be given to Maktabs,
Madarasas and Dar-ul-Uloom for activities, which contribute to these objectives.

( iii) The scheme also will seek to provide opportunities for vocational training
for children studying in madarasas opting for assistance above 14 years of age,
to enhance their opportunities for entering the job market and encourage
entrepreneurship.

(iv) The scheme will also strengthen State Madrassa Boards opting for
assistance, by enabling them to monitor the madrassa modernization
programme and enhance awareness about education among the muslim
community.

(v). The scheme will address in-service training of teachers appointed under
the scheme, for teaching modern subjects of science, mathematics, social
studies, Hindi and English, to improve their pedagogical skills.

COVERAGE :

7. The SQPEM is a demand driven scheme. The Scheme will endeavour to
cover a total of 4,500-6,000 Madrassas and provide honorarium to about 13,500-
18,000 teachers in Madrassas all over the country during the 11th Plan period.
This will include Madrassas for which recurring grant will be given in continuation
and the new Madrassas covered. It is expected that a total of about 7 lakh
students of Madrassas will pursue modern education in addition to their
traditional education.

COMPONENTS & FINANCIAL PATTERN:

8. Financial assistance to Maktabs/Madrassas/Dar-ul-ulooms will cover the
following items: -

a) For appointment of teachers for teaching Science, Mahtematics, Social
Studies, Languages, Computer Application and Science, subject to availability of
a minimum of ten students in each subject, each full time Graduate teacher will
be paid salary for 12 months @ Rs.6000/-p.m. and post Graduate/B.Ed. Rs.
12000/- p.m. State Governments/Madrassa Boards would ensure that larger
Madrassas with higher student enrolment recruit better qualified teachers.

b) For strengthening the libraries/book banks and providing teaching learning
materials at primary/middle/Secondary and senior secondary levels, one time
assistance upto Rs.50,000/-followed by an annual grant of Rs.5000/- will be
provided to each Madrassa.

c) For purchase of Science kits, Maths kits, and other essential pedagogical
equipment for teaching modern subjects a grant upto a maximum amount of
Rs.15000/- will be provided.

d) Financial assistance will also be provided for establishment of
Science/Computer Labs/work shops in Madrassas at the Secondary/Senior
Secondary levels upto the a maximum of Rs.100000 for each of the labs followed
by an annual grant of Rs.5000 for maintenance/purchase of consumables.

e) Financial assistance will be provided for conducting in service teacher raining programmes for the teachers appointed under the scheme in madrassas
to upgrade their pedagogical skills. Training will be arranged in groups by
SCERTs/DIETs/BRCs etc. and the funds for this purpose will be provided to the
training institution through the State Government. Rs. 100/- per day per teacher
trainee for a maximum of 15 days training, will be paid to the training institution to
cover training expenses and TA/DA of the trainee teacher.

f) Financial assistance will be provided to meet registration fees,
examination fees and cost of study materials supplied by the National Institute of
Open Schooling (NIOS) upto 100% for each student opting for study through
NIOS at secondary and senior secondary level.

g) Madrassas can also opt for vocational courses offered by NIOS after
fulfilling norms & standards set by NIOS. The registration fees would be met
from the scheme as in above(f) . There will be linkages of madrassas with
industry, ITIs set up by the Ministry of Labour and Employment etc. which are in
the vicinity, for use of workshops and for promoting employment opportunities.

h) Financial assistance will be provided to State Madrassa Boards opting for
assistance, to strengthen their capacity to monitor the SPQEM, by providing
recurring financial assistance of Rs. 5.0 lakhs per year for each Madrassa Board.
The assistance will be for appointment of qualified & competent staff;
computerization of office; office equipments; research & evaluation; and
awareness generation amongst the muslim community for participation in
education.

i) For purposes of publicity, monitoring & evaluation of the scheme at the
level of Government of India, a recurring grant upto a limit of Rs. 50 lakh per
year, will be provided.

ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS :

9. Madrassas which have been in existence atleast for three years and
registered under Central or State Government Acts or Madrassa Board or with
Wakf Boards or NIOS shall be eligible to apply for assistance under this
programme.

10. All Madrassas opting to be covered by distance education mode and
availing of government grant will need to be accredited with the NIOS.
Madrassas applying for financial assistance under the scheme to the State
Government would have to provide documentary evidence of their
affiliation/accreditation to the State Madrassa Boards/NIOS. The Madrassa
would for this purpose send an application for accreditation/affiliation to NIOS.
Once the Madrassa has been accredited by the NIOS, as study centers the NIOS
shall take thereafter, all necessary steps for conducting the academic activities of
the study centres in such Madrassas.

11. Training will be arranged in groups for madrassa teachers appointed
under the scheme by SCERTs/DIETs/BRCs and the funds for this purpose will
be provided to the training institutions through the State Government.
Submission of certificate for successful completion of training duly signed by the
representative of the training institution will need to be maintained by the State
Government and furnished to the Central Grant-in-aid Committee annually.

12. Madrassas with respect to whom expenditure on account of honorarium
of the teachers is met by the State Government will not be eligible for salary
component under the scheme. However, such Madrassas will be eligible for
financial assistance under other components of the scheme.

13. Madrassas receiving financial assistance for teacher training, text books,
computers, science/maths kits etc. from any other State/Central Scheme will not
be eligible for that component under this scheme.

PATTERN OF FUNDING AND OTHER CONDITIONS:

14. The Central Government will provide 100% funding for the scheme during
the 11th Plan.

15. The financial assistance will be given yearly under the scheme through the
State Governments/Union Territory Administrations in whose jurisdiction the
institution is situated.

16. Funds will be provided as per the norms of the scheme. Allocations under
the scheme are to be regarded as outer limits and actual releases should be in
accordance with actual beneficiaries. The Madrassas /State Madrassa Boards
receiving assistance would be required to furnish audited expenditure certificate
in the format prescribed, duly certified by the audit officer.

17. The grant will be admissible to only those organizations/institutions that submit updated and certified statement of accounts showing each component
separately, for the grant-in-aid received in the previous year. No claim for
recurring grants will be admissible if such claim is not made within one year of
the previous grant.

18. The records of accounts and activities of the organization will, on demand,
be made available for inspection by Central/State Government.
19. State Government and grantee institutions shall submit annual progress
reports and utilisation certificates and they shall be open to financial scrutiny and
audit by the Central Government, Controller General of Accounts (CGA) or
Comptroller & Auditor General or their nominee.

20. The Central Government shall inspect the grantee institutions at any time
whenever such an inspection is considered necessary.

IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING:

21 The following procedures will be adopted:

i) The scheme will be implemented by the State Governments. All requests
for financial assistance shall, as a rule, be entertained by the State Government
in the prescribed Application Form at Annexure, Part I (Format I to IV) is for
madrassas, Part-III for (Format-VI) for State Madrassa Boards seeking
assistance under the scheme The State Government shall forward their
recommendations to the Govt. of India in Part-II (Format V) for madrassas and in
para-8 of Part-III In respect of State Madrassa Boards seeking assistance under
the scheme..

ii) To scrutinize and recommend the proposal under the scheme, the States/UTs
shall constitute a State level Grant-in-Aid Committee under the chairmanship of
the Secretary of the relevant Department and include a nominee of MHRD on it.

iii) On receipt of proposals from the State Government, the Grant-in-Aid
Committee setup in the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India
will consider the same on merit and accord approval.

iv) The Central Grant-in-Aid Committee will have the following composition:
Secretary, Department of SE&L, Chairman, Joint Secretary, Department of
SE&L, Member Secretary, Financial Advisor MHRD, One/Two representatives
from Madrassas Education Management/Boards, one eminent educationist,
representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Policy & Planning), the Ministry
of Minority Affairs and the State Government concerned whose proposals are
listed in the agenda.

v) The Government of India and the State Government/UT administration will
monitor and evaluate the scheme. The feed back on the number of students
appearing in National Open School and qualitative improvement in their
achievements will be collected by the State Govt./UT Administration/Madrassa
Board and placed before the Central Grant-in-Aid Committee. The Central Grantin-
aid Committee will organize reviews & evaluations on the progress of the
scheme as appropriate. An independent & in-depth evaluation of the scheme will
be conducted after two years of implementation.